Apparatus for preparing granular or the like materials



Aug. 19, 1930. J. 1.. ROSENFIELD 1,773,202

' APPARATUS FOR PREPARING GRANULAR OR THE LIKE MATERIALS Original FiledJuly 29, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 g- 1930- J. L. ROSENFIELD 1,773,202

APPARATUS FOR PREPARING GRANULAR OR THE LIKE MATERIALS Original FiledJu1 '29, 1926 s Sheets-Sheet 2 1930- I J. L. ROSENFIELD 1,773,202

APPARATUS FOR PREPARING GRANULAR OR THE LIKE MATERIALS Original FiledJuly 29, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Q Q Q Q EZUHZZW- Joseph L @567Z/ZEZ/L iatented Aug. 19, 1936 UNITED TTES I mi/,2

ATENT @FFICE JOSEPH L. ROSENFLELD, 0F"ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA APPARATUSroarmiranme emutnn on THE LIKE MATERIALS Original'application filedJ'uly 29, 1926, Serial no. 125,698. j Divided and this application filedFebruary 21,

1927. Seiial'lio. 169,887. g

This application-is a division of my copending application Serial No.125,698 filed July 29, 1926, for Process of preparing granular or thelike materials.

The invention while relating generally to the preparation of materialshas particular reference to an apparatus for the treatment, so to speak,of granular or the like raw commodities, such as coffee, cocoa beans,peanuts, and other such commodities which are ordinarily roasted orotherwise heattreated prior to their ultimate preparation for consumtion. The field of operation embraced by t e apparatus is, in no way,confined to the treatment of the specific granular materials named, andin this connection, so far as concerns the possibilities of theinvention, I do not make any distinction between peanuts, cocoa beans,coffee and such distinctively granular materials, and any othermaterials the nature'of which, while not granular in the generallyaccepted meaning of the term, are

-- at the same time in such form which permits the same to beaccommodated by the apparatus.

As one outstanding example of this possibility I will mention thecooking of whole and unpeeled potatoes, There are, of course, other foodproducts which may also be in-, cluded but the examples given willsuflice to explain the process and operation of the apparatus.

To begin with, as explained in'my hereinbefore identified co-pendingapplication, I have discovered that certain edible products when treatedin accordance with my process develop unusually pleasing flavors,aromas,

I and other desirable qualities heretofore unknown to exist. Thisapplies for the most part to coffee, peanuts and other such productsthat are usually roasted to bring out their flavors. The same principlewould like wis'e apply in other instances, as for example,

products, I will use the same'asa basis of illustration.

Briefly the invention has to do with commmgling the granular material tobe treated with a subdivided heat vehicle which imparts to the productthe required heat to roast or cook the same to a predetermined extent,whereby the resultant product, while resembling nothing more than thesame product roasted as heretofore practiced, will develop a decidedimprovement in flavor, aroma, and other desirable qualities whenultimately prepared for consumption.

I am not prepared at this time to advance any reliable theories as tothe why and wherefore of this phenomenon, except to say that everyindication points to what I believe to be a quick, if not aninstantaneous skin sealing effect which develo s a sealing film on theoutside of the coffee ean, as an example, and completely sealing thebean so that the full flavor of the volatile constituents are positivelyretained within and carried intact until the product is finally preparedfor consumption or consumed without other preparation, as in the case ofordinary roasted peanuts.

As still another feature of the process, and of equal importance, is theelement of time required to treat the materials. For instance,

as heretofore practiced, it usually requires about thirty to fortyminutes to roast coffee.

With my improved apparatus, I can complete the roasting of the samequantity of coffee v in about five or six minutes and with betterresults.

Furthermore, the simplicity of the process will enable .me to practicethe same at least on a small scale at times and in places where the oldmethods and apparatus would be totally impractical if not impossible.

Further features will follow with reference to the accompanying drawingswhich illustrate the preferred apparatus for reducing the process topractice.

In said drawings Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation and partly insection, of a complete apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation of the apparatus, with part of thehopper broken away;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus; and Fig. 4 is a cross section onthe line 4-4,

Fig. 1. a

s previously stated, the process contemplates the use of a sub-dividedheat vehicle as a means of roasting or otherwise treating the materialsto realizethe results desired and for this reason I provide a dividedhopper 01 else a pair of hoppers 5 and 6, one of which namely 5,accommodating the raw material, and the other accommodating thesubdivided heat vehicle which may be sand, salt, or. any similarmaterial suitable for the purpose I prefer sand for the most part, orelse a composition in which sand predominates. At any rate the nature ofvehicle is more or less immaterial, so long as it performssatisfactorily.

Since I desire to pre-heat the vehicle before mingling the producttherewith, the hopper 6 is eqlfiipped with heating means prefera ly agas eater embodying in its construction a pluralityof heating tubes 7,each tubebeing connected to the burner 9. The pipes are separated so asto offer suflicient heat radiatmg surfaces to properly heat the sandcontained in the hopper without undue loss of time, reckoned from thetime it is deposited therein in successive quantities.

The products of combustion from the burner circulating through the pipesmay be carried off by extending the pipes to a convenient flue or elseterminating the same at a desirable distance away from the apparatus.

Both of the hoppers 5 and 6 are provided with discharge gates or onegate common to both, so as to release measured quantities of the productand likewise the sand, and after the operation of the apparatus is timedand established this gate or the gates, as the case may be, may be setso as to hold any pre determined adjustment effecting the discharge areaof the hoppers. These gates are shown as at 10in the enclosure 11 whichcornprises a skirt connecting the hoppers'with the cylindrical roaster12. The former extend- 'ing through an opening in the roaster as at 13adjacent the receiving end thereof.

The manipulating means for the gates is shown at 14. The roaster may bemade in 1 theform of a relatively long horizontal and stationarycylinder mounted upon a supporting structure 15'. Mounted with freedomof rotation within the cylinder 13 and coaxially therewith. is anArchimedean screw 16, the shaft 17 for which is confined in an exteriorjournal 18 at the discharge end of the cylinder. The opposite end of theshaft extends through the closure 19 at the receiving end a of thecylinder and aside from being journaled in'the bearing 20 is keyed tothe hub 21 of the large driven ear wheel 22. The wheel 22 is driven by tepinion 23 mounted which is supplied wit gas from a suitable source ofsupply. These burners are provided as a means of heating the cylinderwhich in turn will maintain the heated state of the sand passing throughthe cylinder. The control for the burners will enable the temperaturecontrol for the sand to be accurately and evenly adjusted.

With this much of the apparatus explained, it will be readily seen thatwhen the gate or gates-'10 are opened to release a predeterminedquantity of heated sand and raw material, to be heat-treated thereby,the materials will be deposited in a more or less mixed or co-mingledstate at least in immediate association with one another, and as thescrew 16 is rotating at the time the mixed materials will be carriedtoward the opposite end of the cylinder and at the same time agitatedand co-mingled one with the other. As a result the particles ofraw-material, coffee beans, for instance, will be embedded in and byagitation commingled with hot sand and thoroughly roasted by the timethey are discharged from the cylinder and separated from the sand. I

The proportion of sand to raw material will vary according torequirements, such ad- 'justments likewise apply to the temperature ofthe sand and the speed of operation. In most instances I heat the sandto a tempera.- ture and use enough of it to assure a quick skin sealingas otherwise thebest results may be sacrificed.

In treating most material little, if any, moisture will be accumulatedin the cylinder 13. However, to avoid such a possibility the top of thecylinder may be equipped With a plurality of vents 29. When thecommingled materials reach the discharge end of the cylinder, they aredischarged through an opening 30, the port area of which is controlledby a cam valve 31 operated by a manually nianipulated lever 32. Thelever in this respect belng operable in combination with a segment 33 soas to either hold the valve 230 closed, or else open to any desiredextent so as to control the amount of material released from thecylinder. The valve is mounted in a housing 34 having a downwardlydepending apron 3-5 which is so disposed in relation to the wall 36 asto provide a chute for directing the mixed materials on the inclinedshaker screen 37. The screen being suspended from the pivoted hangers 38and more or less vio- Wrasse lently reciprocated by a short strokepitman 39. The inclined end of the screen is hung overa receptacle 40which collects the treat-- ed product and from which it is conveyed awaythrough a pipe or else otherwise emptied.

The separated sand falls on an inclined table ll and then into thetransverse subconveyor 42, from which it is collected by the screwconveyor 43 and returned into the hopper 6. The sand return provides acontinuous process and the fact that the sand is practically unexposedto the air throughout, it loses little, if any appreciable amount ofheat. Any loss in this respect will be readily restored when the same isreturned to thehopper.

In the past, particularly in the case of coffee, it is often diflicultto get a uniform roast. With my apparatus this is assured, since eachindividual particle or bean isembedded in the sand so that all sidesreact to the heat which is likewise maintained at a uniform roastingtemperature throughout the commingling stage of the process. 7

Ordinarily theratio of sand to material roaster will be about 2 or3 toone, that is to say about 2 or 3 parts sand to one part ma terial. Theseproportions will naturally vary according to the accommodations at,forded by the apparatus and the nature of the material prepared. Imight also explain at this point that the quantity of'mixed material andsand wilLjust about keep theshaft of the screw burned, at least asufficient amount of sand is maintained in the cylinder so as to avoidany possibility of the material floating, so to speak, on top of the.sand. The screw, however, will keep the mixthoroughly agitated and willbe continuously picking the sand up from the bottom and keeping itstirred up. This is importantdn order to keep the particles of materialburied or embedded so that a uniform roastwill result.

As. previouslystated, thetiming of operations is important as by thismeans the roast may be prolonged or. shortened, as occasion demands. Thetemperature control'is likewise important to accommodate the process todifferent kinds of materials.

I claim: a i

1. In an apparatus of the class described,

a roasting receptacle, means associated therewith for deliveringmeasured quantities of a product to be roasted, and means for deliyeringmeasured quantities of a subdivided heat vehicletosaid receptacle, meansfor commingling the product to be roasted with the subdividedheati'vehicle while passing the same through the receptacle, means forreg lating the quantity of the commin'gled ma- .terials discharged fromthe receptacle and means for maintaining the subdivided heat vehicle ata roasting temperature during the time it is retained in the receptacle.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a substantially horizontallydisposed heated receptacle, hopper delivery means at one end of thereceptacle, gates for controlling the delivery of material from thehopper delivery F means into the receptacle, a screw conveyor for movingthe delivered material longitudinally along the receptacle, a dischargeat one end of the receptacle, means for con trolling the effective portarea of the discharge and means for collecting a portion of the materialdischarge and conveying the same back to the hopper delivery means.

3. In an apparatus of the class described.

a substantially horizontally disposed heated trolling the effective portarea of the discharge and means for collecting a portion of the materialdischarged and conveying the same back to the hopper delivery meanscomprising collecting receptacle communicating with a screw conveyor,the discharge end'of sald screw conveyor discharging into the hopperdelivery means.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a'

pair of hoppers, one of said hoppers adapted to contain a material to betreated with a subdivided heat vehicle contained in the other hopper,means for heating the sub-divided heat vehicle while contained in itshopper a heating and mixing receptacle, means or discharging measureduantities of the 'material contained in the opper into one end of theheating receptacle, a screw conveyor in the heating receptacle forcommingling the materials by agitation and 1 conveying the same to theopposite end of the receptacle,

loo 3 driving means for the screw conveyor, means for controlling thespeed ofthe driving means, means for heating the receptacle forsubstantially the length thereof, and means forregulating the heatingmeans, a discharge atone endof the heating receptacle, and means forcollecting the materials from said discharge and separating the treatedmaterial from the sub-divided heat vehicle.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a pair of hoppers, one ofsaid hoppers adapted to contain a material to be treated with asubdivided heat vehicle contained in the other hopper, means for heatingthe sub-divided heat vehicle while'contained in its hopper, a heatingand mixing receptacle, means for discharging measured quantities of thematerial contained in the hopper into one end of the heating receptacle,a screw conveyor in the heatin receptacle for commingling the materialsy agitation and conveying the same to the opposite end of thereceptacle,

' pair of hoppers, one of said hoppers adapted to contain a material tobe treated with a sub-divided heat vehicle contained in the otherhopper, means for heating the subdivided heat vehicle while contained inits hopper, a heating and mixing receptacle, means for dischargingmeasured quantities of the material contained in the hopper into one endof the heating receptacle, a screw conveyor in the heating receptaclefor comminghng the materials by agitation and conveying the same to theop osite end of the recep-- tacle, driving means or the screw conveyor,

means for controlling the speed of the driving means, means for heatingthe receptacle for substantially the len t thereof, and means forregulating the eating means, a discharge at one end of the heatingreceptacle, and means for collecting the materials from said dischargeand separating the treated material from the sub-divided heat vehicleand means for returning the sub-divided heat vehicle to its hopper,comprising an elevator screw, the receiving end of said elevator screwcommunicating with a container into which the sub-divided heat vehicleis delivered after a being separated from the treated material,

and the opposite end of the elevator screw dischargin into the heatedhopper for the sub-divide heat vehicle.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, a pair of hoppers, one ofsaid hoppers adapted to contain a material to be treated with asubdivided heat vehicle contained in the other hopper, means for heatingthe sub-divided heat vehicle while contained in its hopper, a

heating and mixing receptacle, means for discharging measured quantitiesof the material contained in the hopper into one end of the heatingreceptacle, a screw conveyor in the heating receptacle for comminglingthe materials by agitation and conveyin the same to the opposite end ofthe receptac e, driving means for the screw conveyor, means forcontrolling the speed of the driving means, means for heating thereceptacle for substantially the length thereof, and means for regulatmgthe heating means, a discharge at one end of the heating receptacle, andmeans for collecting the materials from said discharge and separatingthe treated material from the sub-divided heat vehicle, comprising ashaker screen disposed beneath the discharge in the heating receptacle,the sub-divided heat vehicle passing thru the screen, a slanting tablebeneath the screen, said table discharging onto a sub-conveyor, and anelevator conveyor collecting the sub-divided heat vehicle from saidsub-conveyor and returning the same to its hopper.

8. Anapparatus for preparing granular or the like materials comprising apair of hoppers, one of said hoppers adapted to contain the material tobe prepared, and the other of said hoppers adapted to contain asubdivided heat vehicle, a material-heating receptacle, into which bothof said hoppers discharge, means for commingling the material andvehicle in the heating receptacle as they are discharged from theirrespective hoppers, dischargemeans in the heating receptacle, means forcollecting the commingled material and vehicle as they are dischargedfrom the heating receptacle, and means for separating the same; meansbeing provided for bringlng the heat-vehicle to heat treatingtemperature by the time it meets the material to be treated.

9. An apparatus for preparing granular or the like materials comprisinga pair of hoppers, one of said hoppers adapted to contain the materialto. be prepared, and the other of said hoppers adapted to contain asubdivided heat vehicle, a material-heating receptacle, into which bothof said hoppers discharge, means for commingling the material andvehicle in the heating receptacle as they are discharged from theirrespective hoppers, discharge means in the-heating receptacle, means forcollecting the commingled material and vehicle as they are dischargedfrom the heating receptacle, and means for separating the same as theyare collected; means being provided for heating the vehicle before itmeets the material.

10. An apparatus for preparing granular or the like materials comprisinga pair of hoppers, one of said hoppers adapted to con tain the materialto be prepared, and the other of said hoppers adapted to contain asubdivided heat vehicle, a heating receptacle, into which both of saidhoppers discharge, means for commingling the material and vehicle in theheating hoppers, discharge means .in the heating receptacle, means forcollecting the commingled material and vehicle as they are dischargedfrom the heating receptacle, means for separating the same as they arecollected and means for returning the separated sub-divided heat vehicleWithout coolin to its hopper for reuse; means being provi ed formaintaining efiective temperature in the returned vehicle before itagain meets the material to be treated.

11. An apparatus .for preparing granular or the like materials,comprising a pair of hoppers, one of said hoppers adapted to contain thematerial to be prepared and the other of said hoppers being heated andadapted to contain and preheat a subdivided heat vehicle and deliver itin heated condition for commingling with the material to be treated, aheating receptacle into which 'both of said hoppers discharge, means forfeeding the mingled material and vehicle through the heating receptacle,as they are discharged from their respective hoppers, and means forseparating the commingled materials discharged from the heatingreceptacle.

12. An apparatus for roasting and preserving the flavor ofcofiee,peanuts, cocoabeans, and the like, comprising a roasting receptacle,means for holding separated a quantity of the product to be roasted,means for preheating and holding, separated, a granular heat vehicle,and means for delivering measured quantities of said product and saidpreheated granular vehicle to the roasting receptacle and depositing thesame within the receptacle in a substantially mixed condition.

13. An apparatus for roasting and preserving the flavor of cofiee,eanuts, cocoabeans, and the like, comprising a roasting receptacle,means for holding separated a quantity of the product to be roasted anda means for preheating and holding, separated, a quantity of granularheat vehicle, means for delivering measured quantities of said productand said preheated granular vehicle to the roasting receptacle anddepositing the 7 same within the receptacle in a substantially mixedcondition, and means for further mixing the product and granular heatvehicle while passing them through the roasting receptacle.

JOSEPH L. ROSENFIELD.

